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China’s Emissions Hold Flat for 18 Months as Renewables and EVs Reshape Energy Use

The pause reflects record renewable buildout alongside rapid EV uptake.

Overview

  • New analysis from Carbon Brief reports China’s greenhouse-gas output has been largely unchanged for a year and a half, with power-sector emissions steady despite strong electricity demand.
  • In the third quarter, solar generation rose 46 percent year over year and wind output increased 11 percent, supported by official Chinese data cited in the analysis.
  • From January to September 2025, China added about 240 gigawatts of solar and 61 gigawatts of wind capacity, while average coal-plant utilization eased from 54 percent to 51 percent.
  • Fuel-related emissions in transport fell roughly 5 percent and emissions from cement and steel declined, reflecting weaker construction and efficiency gains.
  • Oil and gas demand in the chemicals sector climbed about 8 percent, creating offsets that leave the full-year 2025 outcome finely balanced and prompting analysts to say the final quarter will determine whether emissions notch a net decline; Beijing has also pledged a 7–10 percent cut in greenhouse gases by 2035.